Little angels of nature

Two types of lillies from High ranges of Kerala.

Mosanta

'Earth laughs in flowers'-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kalyana saugandhikam flower

'Kalyana saugandhikam' means the flower with great fragrance. This white flower has a magic smell. I love this flower not only because of its smell but also of its name in our 'Mahabharatha'. I am not sure about is it the flower which fascinated the Draupadi and crashed the ego of the great Bheemasena. Malayali will not forget the lines from the Kalyana Saugandhikam thullal.

'Nokkeda nammude marge kidakkunna markkada neeyangu marikkeda shadda'. A nice story which speaks about love and ego. We can see this story in Kathakali also. Bhima searches through the forest following its amazing smell. In childhood I had believed this flower had some relation with 'Kalyanam' means wedding. Later I came to know that the flower has connection with the great 'Panchali'. Years teach us new lessons, but we have to open our eyes and ears towards nature.

Botanical Name: Hedychium coronarium Koening

English:Butterfly Ginger Lilly, White Ginger Lilly, Garland flower

Hindi:Dolan Chamba

Tamil:chantiramullakai

Kannada:Suruli sugandhi

Telugu:Vasa vasanthi

Other malayalam Name:Elapoochedi

Shamkupushpam Flowers

Shamkupushpam with two or more petals

Its a vessel carrying flower to temple for the poojas. This flower vessel is from my home. This is my Amma's morning routine to fill this vessel with variety of flowers plucked from my home itself. She will do it with great devotion and always chanting some manthras. Its a nice thing to see my parents collecting all these flowers and going to temple. When you miss someone its nice to remember through some images. These flowery images of my parents always fill fragrance and positive approach to my life. Wishing them more healthy and wonderful life ahead... The image of this poopathram is from my home taken 2 years back.

A very good morning to all of my friends through images right from Kochi.

An earlier post about this herb

Shanku Pushpam- A perennial Herb

Scientific name: Clitoria terneata, Malayalam:Shanku pushpam, Sanskrit:Shanku pushpi, Tamil: Kakkattan, Hindi and Bengali:Aparajitha, English: Butterfly pea

May be because of the shape of the flower, malayalaees called them as 'Shamku Pushpam'. Its a very positive sight to see lot of blue flowers hanging. These images are from the front of my office, I couldn't capture the exact beauty because of my lack of expert in Photography. But I am sharing my happiness to see such lovely flowers as a starter of my works. This positive triggers are sometimes inevitable in this short period of life. We are not knowing the nice happenings around us. We are always running behind our targets almost ignoring the music of a bird, smell of a flower, smile of our child or the mesmerizing beauty of a butterfly. Its a nice experience to share some of these positive things through these platform. Everything in the nature has a story to tell us. These shankupushpam flowers had a lot of things behind its beauty. Googling helped me to note these wonderful usages of these blue beauties.

These flowers are used for pigmentation in some Asian countries. These flowers are eaten fresh in Burma. In Kerala it is widely used in Ayurvedic treatments. Its mainly used in Sexual Problems and menstrul disorders. Its a medicine for nervous system and its added in brain tonics.

This deep blue flower is the most common type in Kerala but we can see white flowers and pink ones occasionally. The white flowers are used to cure Goiter. The extrat from the root of this plant is considered to be a mental rejuvanator. These root extracts are used in medicines for Snake bites.

I can note conclude this post without a mention about the famous romantic song from Kerala.

'Shankupushpam Kannezhuthumbol Shakunthale ninne orma varum...' The magical poet of malayalam Vayalar Ramavaram portraits the grief of Dushyanta about his wife and he remembers her through the beauties of nature around him. This is written in 1965!! and still its a hit in Kerala. Remembering all those talented people behind this Cinema.

To know more about the cinema Shakunthala in Malayalam

Erukku

Buds of Erukku

Fruit of Erukku. Seeds can also be seen

Flower of Erukku.

This is an ayurvedic medicinal plant. This flowers are used for the poojas of shiva temple.

Nature's beauty

Images taken by my husband from Munnar

Same shades from nature...

Flowers and Positive Energy

Vishu is coming.......

Flowers may be the most beautiful creation of God. Different varieties, colours, shapes and smell. Its a part of our life. We can't even think of a marriage without Jasmine. According to our culture flowers are very auspicious. Most of the flowers had legendary connection with our gods and goddesses. Vishu the term itself remembers of 'Kanikkonna'. Onam and onapookkalam again reminds the flowers. In Ramayana Rama tells Lakshmana that who offers leaf, flower, fruit or water to the god he will be blessed. Flowers bring positive energy into us. Just imagine the fragrance of Jasmine, gandharajan, Pala poo, Ilanji poo, Coffee flower, pichi flower, Rose flower and many more.

We use lot of flowers for pooja in temples.

An interesting article about positive energy

Nice blog about flowers and positive energy

Chembaka poo

Previous post about this flower

White flower

These shots are from a house very near to Ravipuram Krishna temple at Kochi. I don't know the exact name of the flower. Because of sharp sun light and it is in busy road side the snap didn't came well. If anyone knows the exact name please comment on this post.

Chembaka poo

Rainy season make flowers more beautiful. Its from the home of my ammoomma(grand mother). It has all her beauty, all her love and her loving smell also. Remembering her soothing touches and dishes that made for me only. Now she is passing through the difficult stages of her life. She is in her 90's. Praying for her lot and its really painful to think a life without her. But we have to admit facts as facts. Her talkings knowing my least worries and problems. Always touching her feet for her blessings, it means a lot to me ....

Blue flower

Blue flower from Idukki

We can see wide variety of plants and flowers near the idukki resorvoir.

Yellow flower from Kerala

Yellow flowers from Kerala. The local name of this plant is 'Kaypan kadu' means bitter forest. Leaves of this plant have bitter taste. Shots are taken from the road side near Kattappana.

Kerala Flowers

Aanthoorium

Kolambi flower
Kongini flower
White vadamalli

More flowers

Nadan pookkal(Local flowers from Kerala)

Yellow flower shots from Kochi
Kammal poo

Kashi thumba flower its also known as shavam nari poo